What Does a Dream About Snakes Mean?

If you have a dream about snakes, it’s important to pay attention to the way they presented themselves.

Were they slithering and creepy?

Was there just one snake?

Did it seem wise?

Did it tempt?

Were they twisting and moving along the ground?

Did you come upon them suddenly?

Were there many, hanging from the trees like some kind of fruit?

Did you fall into a pit of snakes in the dream, as with some kind of a trap set up by a supervillain?

Snakes are commonly used by the subconscious

It’s pretty common to dream of snakes. There are over 60,000 monthly searches on Google, according to LSIgraph.

When searches hit that volume, even non-dream focused websites pay attention. Websites as disparate as the HuffPost, have an article on what a dream about snakes means.

When you have one, there’s probably symbolism your subconscious is trying to communicate. With so many searches, it doesn’t seem to be a “slice of the day” dreams. Snakes are known for keeping to themselves and staying hidden. In 40 years of frequent hiking, I’ve only encountered snakes out on the trail a handful of times. Then there was a formative incident at my kindergarten in Ajo, Arizona when one of my classmates found one near the playground.

When I’ve run across them in Arizona and Texas, it’s been while landscaping. Are all these searchers by landscapers and gardeners? It doesn’t seem likely. For most people, actually encountering a snake doesn’t happen frequently unless you live in a place with an inordinate number of snakes like Sweetwater, Texas.

What do snakes really mean to you?

Try to remember all of the details you can from the dream. In order to spur dream recall, The Dream Recovery System uses the acronym PACTREPS.

PACTREPS

P = People — Were there any people in the dream? Did they do anything?

A = Animals — Were any animals prominently featured?

C = Colors — Were there any colors that stood out?

T = Modes of Transport — Was a journey involved?

R = Recurring — Did you ever have this dream or a similar one before?

E = Emotion — How did the dream make you feel emotionally?

P = Plot — Was there a plot to the dream? It’s okay if it didn’t make sense.

S = Setting & Sound — Where did the dream take place? Were there any sounds or songs playing?

Putting it all together

Are you the kind of person who focuses on the role of the snake in the ecosystem? Are you fascinated with the way they swallow prey whole and have the meal dissolve in the stomach?

Snakes are fascinating. Personally, I think of living snakes in the same way plastic snake systems are used to clean swimming pools, the ecosystem uses them to clear unwanted pests.

When I was living in the foothills around Tucson, Arizona and I’d meet another male neighbor, it would never be long before the conversation would turn to packrats. I didn’t have half of the problem of my neighbors. That’s because I let the snakes alone on my property. I had an acre around me. If the snake came near my house, I removed him. The rattlesnakes kept the packrat population in check.

I’m pro-snake, though I wouldn’t want one as a pet. Live and let live, I say. They’re a great creature who have an important role in the ecosystem even if in the western-thought tradition we don’t often think too highly of them.